Myself - Yourself
by TabieCat
Summary: "I cant ask you to like me, not after all the torture I've put you through, but I can ask you to obey me. But first and foremost, I'm going to ask you to forgive me."
1. Prologue

It didn't take long for the young Faunus to tire of their game, and the older of the pair seemed to sense this. The boy in light green stopped running from his twin and turned to face her, his long hair being caught in the breeze as he smiled brightly.

"New game! If you wanna be a huntress like Mom was, you gotta have good reflexes." He always loved to boast about the things the old man had taught him while she had been ill, about the ways of the land, and human nature and missions as a huntsman, they would listen for hours to his magical stories. "In this game, you have to slap my leg, that's it. Don't let me hit your leg and try to hit mine." He lowered his stance, leaning forward, arms outstretched, then he scuttled from side to side, making his hands into pincers, eliciting a laugh from his twin.

"You look like a crab!" She laughed, bending over and he reached around and gently slapped her leg, before whooping and cheering his victory.

"Cheat! I wasn't ready! I'll get you Vi'a!" She sauntered around, her brown tail providing her with excellent balance as she dodged and pranced away from her twin, finally, she had backed him up against a tree and he found himself unable to maneuver away from his sister fast enough to dodge and she caught him, and began laughing merrily.

"Well done.. Woo, that was tiring." Vida sank down to sit on one of the roots of the ancient tree and produced a bottle of the special drink he only gave her when she was ill, the thick, purple fluid sparkled slightly in it's glass bottle and she could only wonder how it never got smashed.

"Here, drink up, you're not fully better yet, I can feel it." His semblance, the ability to judge any living creature's health by simply touching it, or even just being in the vicinity if it came to it. The people hated him, at first they thought he has a sickness just because he could touch someone and tell them that they were ill, and then, when their parents had disappeared, they had been shooed away from the town.

That was when Kamo had come in, invited them into his house and helped them recover. He had trained Vida while Fern lay ill in bed, and gave Vida's name to a friend of his that used Dust to make medicine. Fern was a lot better, and a lot stronger than she had been before. Having been born with 2 semblances really took it's toll on her, but it had largely been her mental strength that helped her recover as the two deities fought over control of her body. As a result of this, she could rarely use her semblance without becoming ill.

"Thanks Vida." She accepted the somehow warm substance and took a sip - the combination of berries and dust medicine once again numbed her senses to taste alone. When she was finished with the palm sized bottle, she handed it back, being careful not to touch Vida.

"Is still there, isn't it?"

"I can feel it all, your thigh is still sore from where i got you, isn't it?" She paused a moment, "And your head too, and the scar on your right hand is troubling you."

The ability to heal. They both shared it, though the older sibling's was far weaker, he still used it when this happened.

He knelt in front of her, and she pulled her shirt down a little bit, exposing the tattoo on the side of her neck. Vida reached out, and touched it briefly, feeling the power course through him and into his sister. The tattoo glowed briefly and she passed out.

~Time Gap~

"Morning," I yawn and slap Vida away so I can get up. He acts hurt, but every morning he continues to stand over me while i wake up to freak me out, so it can't hurt him that much.

"One of the bulletins was the old underground giving off some tremors in the city, nothing to worry about though." He grins slyly at me, knowing I'm frustrated he left without me again.

"Vida, I'm a lot better now, why won't you take me into the town?"

"Aww, no sarcastic comment about the world falling apart?" He pouts, "Don't fool me, Fern, until we can see one of those doctors or one semblance kills the other you won't be fully better."

I sigh, knowing that there's truth to his words only makes it worse.

"Buuutttt, I managed to finish the swords, we can spar now!"

He's kidding, he thinks I'm too ill to properly spar him.

"You're right - you are a lot better. I'm not kidding, you know." He turns, and pulls on his light green jacket, quickly pulling his shoulder-length hair into a loose ponytail, before heading to the door, "You coming or what?"

I've always wanted to learn to use swords, Vida prefers more mechanical weapons like guns, but the simplicity makes swords so amazing. My black leggings are quickly replaced with brown ones and I decide my green tee shirt will survive another day. So I pull on my mom's old trench coat and do up the single button on it, just below my neck. As I slip into my boots I pull my long hair out of the back of the coat and let it hang around me. The boots are fairly new but I wear them so much they're already comfortable and worn, Vida bought them after he got paid to clear out a Grimm's nest.

I'm going to get stronger. I'm going to get better and be a huntress someday. And then Vida and I will be on a team and protect people. We could be the heroes from the books, and maybe people wouldn't hate us for being faunus.

It may be childish, but I'm allowed to dream.

~Time Gap~

We spar properly now, swords locked in the heat of battle, guns blazing to propel us forwards. We spar like this every day, we get up, do some hand-to-hand, then spar until we're too tired to continue. Neither of us ever win, but we're a lot better than when we started.

I aim my gun behind me, fire and fly forwards from the force. I raise my sword, preparing to make an offensive when Vida stops, his hand shakily coming up to his chest. I alter my route, and hook my sword into the floor, spinning around and skidding backwards. It's a ruse, he's trying to confuse me to get the upper hand.

Vida's shaky voice interrupts my thoughts.

"Fern, hide." He falls to the floor, the hand still clutching his chest now stained a terrible red, his right hand - having dropped the wooden sword - is in front of him. It takes me a moment to realise that my brother is dying.

This is not a ruse.

**(****_Keep calm. What's the logical thing to do?_****_)_**

_(Help Vida.)_

**_(_****_No, they're still there. You'll be shot too._****_)_**

_(Neutralise the threat.)_

I shoot myself forwards, knowing my blank rounds couldn't injure someone that way, into the trees. I use my momentum to leap up onto one of the lower branches where I listen, and hear the panting of a person - no, a man. Stealth was one of the first lessons Vida taught me, so I am able to leap through the leaves soundlessly as I quickly shorten the gap between us. I leap down and a rustling from the side catches my attention. My boot strikes slightly off and hits his shoulder, but I manage to catch myself as I tumble to my feet with all the grace of a baby giraffe.

The first man falls to his knees several feet away, clutching his shoulder, his voice husky, "Bitch, you'll pay for that."

I dodge around a punch thrown by the second and retaliate in kind, my fist catching him under the chin. I'm not strong enough and he pushes me backwards before I can manoeuvre out of it. My stance low, I remember the gun his partner still has. I go to make a sloppy kick and when the second man crouches to jump I use him as a springboard, planting my feet firmly on his shoulders elegantly somersault backwards, landing next to his comrade. I grab his gun, reaching across his chest and he tries to grab my arm, but I'm too quick and he just grabs his own shoulder harshly. Several vile words are spat in my direction.

I place the gun at the side of his head, a warning to his comrade. "Leave or I'll shoot him."

The huge man beneath me chuckles and before I can understand what's happening, I see the afternoon sky just poking it's way through the thick jungle of leaves. It takes me longer still to comprehend that I've been grabbed my the hulk of a man before me, but as the kaleidoscope of faces with a broken nose come together, I spit into the eyes and am throw backwards into the branches.

I'm choking. My coat is caught. I'm too weak, unless I unleash some sort of special hidden power like in the fairytales, I'm going to die here.

(**_I'm right here, Fern. Let me help you._**)

(_No, Vida wouldn't want that._)

(**_Vida is going to die if you don't hurry up, and at this rate, so are you._**)

(_Can you handle it?_)

(**_I possess the power of a God, there's not much I can't handle. Open your eyes._**)

I do so. The connection is instant and swarms my head with a low buzzing. The man stops mid-stride and his eyes widen. I feel the semblance pulling on the blood vessels in the man's brain until –

(_Stop! You'll kill him!_)

(**_Or he'll kill you._**)

his eyes roll upwards and he collapses forwards with an undignified dying moan. His broken nose is still bleeding, even if death.

My hands don't feel like my own, and the semblance is still in partial control of my body as they unclasp the button and I fall to the ground. Without questioning or caring, the standard-issue city rifle is in my hands and the man before me is dead.

(**_Aww, I wanted to play with that one_**)

(_You just killed one man! Isn't that enough for you?_)

(**_Are we going to stand here and question my homicidal tendencies or are we going to help your precious twin?_**)

I'm running before it's even finished.

(_**If you were faster, he would be okay. You're weak. You were too slow.**_)

(_No! He's going to be okay!_)

I'm at the clearing. Our clearing.

(_I'm going to heal him._)

The clearing where my sole family member is lying, face down and barely breathing.

(_**How? You pathetic girl, you can't do anything.**_)

"Vida!"

(_Leave us._)

A deep breath and the purity of my healing overcomes me, I've pushed the semblance further down than I've ever managed before. I'm calm and roll my brother onto his back.

"Vi'a, it's me. Fern."

A small smile creeps it's way across my brother's beautiful face.

_My brother, my Vida, my only family._

"Fern… Take this…"

His hand is in it's pocket, my medicine. I down it in one.

I feel my cells multiplying and dying, the buzz of energy in the air around me, but mostly my brother's pain.

_My beautiful brother with the eyes so full of life._

I focus my energy into my hand and with a cold numbness feel the bones and muscles slowly start to pull themselves together beneath my cold fingers which are placed over Vida's heart.

_The only family member that stayed with me._

"Fern, don't overexert yourself.." he struggles out.

_My perfect, strong brother that is the mirror opposite of me._

"I'm not going to _let you die_, goddammit!"

_ The only person I love, because with him, everything's right._

His smile is warm and gentle as it always has been, "Don't forget me."

_My sibling with the warm smile that has always bourn his sorrow_.

He doesn't reach up to touch my cheek - we're not from a shitty romantic story with a tragic ending. He offers me one of his brightest smiles and my semblance stops – there is nothing alive to heal.

And that's it. It's all over.

* * *

I don't know how long I scream for. Or how long I cry after I start coughing up blood. It's a long time though. And the semblance was right – it's all my fault Vida died.

My twin, my Vida, my only family.

(**_He's dead because of you._**)

My beautiful brother with the eyes so full of life.

(**_You were too slow._**)

My only family member who stayed with me.

(**_You're so weak, you barely saved yourself._**)

My perfect, strong brother that is the mirror opposite of me.

(**_Pull yourself together, you're cracking._**)

The only person I love, because with him, everything's right.

(**_Your thoughts are trained to unsteady ideas._**)

My sibling with the warm smile that has always borne his sorrow.

(**_How much of his suffering was your fault?_**)

My beautiful brother that never did any wrong -

Is _gone._


	2. Childhood's End

**Fern's Story 2 - Childhood's End **

I stroke the green of my brother's hair that is so close to the color of the life around us. It's a lively green that reminds me of the grass and the leaves that so casually litter the area around us, that continue to grow through all tragedy and sorrow. I cant help but admire how, even in death, his hair is such a beautiful color - the color of thriving life. My suffering goes unheard for my voice is gone.

My brother is dead because _I_ was too slow, because _I_ was too weak to heal him.

As the late sun sets for the evening, I pick myself up and look at his body, beautiful even in death. I stagger as the realization that I'm completely _alone_ and will have to bury my brother because nobody else cares hits me. He's wearing one of his brightest smiles and looks like he's imagining something nice.

The cold has caught up to me, my arms try to protect me from the elements but with mother's coat still up the tree, I can't do much good. The thought of getting it leaves my mind as quickly as it crosses it - my coat is covered in my brother's blood. So are my hands, it's dark, and has dried.

**(What**_** are you going to do?)**_

_(Stay here. I'll see him in my next life.)_

**_(That would be a waste, the girl with two semblances dying out of devotion for her brother, yuck. But are you not going to bury him?)_**

_(That... Would actually be a good start.)_

I flounder, heading in a direction that I think will take me to the nearest town.

**_(Allow me.)_**

I have neither the chance nor will to object as the semblance takes control of my body. It walks me to the nearest town and I am vaguely aware that something attacks me, cutting open my right shoulder, across my chest. The semblance tears apart the creature with It's power. But then something snaps and It's losing control over me.

**_(Stupid girl..)_**

I stagger, the town in sight, a hand flying to clutch my shoulder.

**_(Wasted so much energy on a lost cause..)_**

The semblance's voice is fainter, and my breathing is speeding up.

_(My brother was not a lost cause!)_

The cobbled streets of the outer-town swerve alarmingly and the semblance cannot keep me standing any longer. I fall gracelessly to my knees and a cut opens up across my palm.

**_(Well, he _did_ die, didn't he? It's a shame you're going to die now, too. Such a waste..)_**

The connection severs, the semblance can no longer keep the pain at bay and it all floods into me and I can't even remain in my hands and knees from the rush. My shoulder (and, apparently my leg as well, seriously what did it do to me?) bleed out my life, and I'm blinking in and out of consciousness as the sun sets. To-ing and fro-ing like I'm attached to a bungee cord - falling into darkness, then wrenched back into the pale light of the setting sun. Back and forth.

Somewhere in the haze and fog I manage to distinguish a pair of boots, no, more than one pair. Or am I seeing multiple? It doesn't matter now, the person (or persons, I'm still unsure) wont help me, I'm too far gone - too close to the edge.

And then the bungee cord snaps me into darkness.

_~Time Gap~_

I didn't think entering the afterlife would be this painful. My head is pounding, and something feels like it's crawling beneath my skin, in my blood. All over me.

_**(You're not dead yet, girl.)**_

The darkness that is the back of my eyelids suddenly seems underwhelming and muted, and I'm vaguely aware of a low buzz of voices that drag me to my surroundings. Muffled and dull, like someone speaking to me from the surface while I'm underwater.

"Milord!..." There's a commotion of rabble I can't understand before a word is spat bitterly, "_Faunus_."

"... much aware, but she is to live." This voice sounds young but firm, apparently an important person.

"Patient ... regaining consciousness..." A third voice? This one sounds calm and gentle, soothing.

Beneath my fluttering eyelids, I can make out a white, sterile room. I let out a groan as the brightness hurts my eyes. My throat opens up again as I do so from my damaged vocal chords and I can only turn my head as I cough up blood. A damp cloth wipes the blood away and the gentle voice tells me not to make any noise.

My eyes have grown accustomed to the brightness now, and the voice belongs to an older man with grey hair and a crooked smile. I like this character instantly, he seems calm and gentle. Even in the clinical hospital coat, he manages to seem harmless and friendly.

Beside him is his opposite - a young man donning jet black hair and scowl. He's giving me filthy looks, and I can only assume he's the one who hates faunua. He's in a navy sort of suit, perhaps a uniform?

_(What have I stumbled into?)_

And beside him stands the shortest of the three, a young man in a black suit with a red tie and trimmings. As my eyes travel upwards I can only be startled at how pale this man is, he's like a ghost, with flawless white hair that's cut to just above his shoulders. But his eyes are what catch my attention - one is a a pale grey blue and the other a vivid aqua. The contrast is beautiful, he's like a cat.

"Will she survive without the bond being made?"

"Milord, the bond

_(what bond?)_

has been started. If it is unfinished the effects will wear off and she will surely die."

The young man nods grimly, looking at me with something that looks like pity in his eyes. "When is it to be done?"

"Whenever you so desire, Milord."

The young lord nods and rubs the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, "Tonight. Don't give her dinner, I don't want anything to ruin this."

The older man bows, arms at his sides, head facing the floor. "Of course, Milord."

Without so much as a look back, he walks out the door, the black haired man following him wordlessly.

The old man in white sits in a chair beside my bed, and I give him my best questioning look since I can't make any noise.

_(What bond?!)_

**_(Some Lords have the technology to be able to tie submissives to them through a blood or dust bond. I've heard of one instance outside of fantasy, and that didn't go well. The young male took on his Mistress' semblance and with two semblances in his power he went mad and killed her.)_**

_(I'm not the first one to have two semblances?)_

_**(You are the first to be born with two, not the first to have had two in their body at any one time, no. Any bond created connects the two people or fauna mentally, physically and through Aura, if you become bonded, he will know you have two semblances.)**_

_(What happens then?)_

**_(He won't be able to kill you, but he could sever the connection, and - if that old guy is right - without this bond you will die.)_**

A cold towel is placed on my forehead. "You're probably wondering where you are, what's going to happen to you?"

I nod frantically, I need to know.

_(I can't let that happen. I need to get revenge for my brother.)_

**_(_Revenge._ Such a human concept. Pathetic.)_**

"_This_," he gestures around, "is the Iro establishment."

He pauses, and I can only hope he will continue.

"Have you heard of it?"

I shake my head, no. I've lived a sheltered life away from much of society, I've only heard of the major companies like Schnee.

"It's a protection company. We train and hire out bodyguards for people and faunus."

_(a non-racist company?)_

"Unfortunately, a lot of the.. Employees here aren't too fond of fauna like you."

_(or not..)_

"Tomorrow is the young Lord's birthday. If all goes well you will attend the ball at the end of this month with him. If not... Well. You don't really need to know."

I open my mouth in protest, but realize I can't say anything. I make a scribbling motion with my hand and he passes me a scroll open on a memo tab.

My fingers tap hesitantly across the unfamiliar keyboard but I soon get the hang of it.

_'what is the bond you keep tLking about?'_

"The young Lord sensed your healing semblance the moment he met you, and since he has the ability to manipulate aura and strengthen it, he used his gift to use yours to keep you alive. Because he has this ability, he was able to undergo a blood transfusion to save you, and a 'bond' has been started. However, he cannot continue to bend and manipulate your semblance without finishing that bond." He pauses, thinking a moment. "You have the young Lord's blood in your veins and unless you are bonded with him, he cannot keep that blood working throughout your body. In this weakened state, if that happens, you will surely perish. The young Lord wishes to create this bond so he may lend you his strength as your body... Dispels the blood of his."

I'm already typing halfway through his speech.

'_so i hVe the white haired mans bloodi n my body?'_

"Indeed."

'_but it shouldnt be there, so hes using my semblance without my permission?'_

"That is correct."

'_and if he stops, im too weak and will die?_'

"I'm afraid so."

'_so he's creating a bond to keep my alive while i go throug hsomething that is supposed to kill mw?'_

"Go what..? Oh, yeah. He's lending you his strength so you survive."

I clear the whole document and think for a moment, then:

'_What does the bond involve?'_

"You want the honest answer?" I nod. "He will become the most important person in your life, whether you want that or not, he will be key to your survival. You will be linked through your auras, and to some degree through your minds too."

'_that sounds liek a fairtytale'_

"I am aware, and if I'm perfectly honest, I'm not too comfortable with the young Lord's chances of survival either. And what with your Faunus nature, well.. It's never been attempted before."

We talk like this for the next 45 minutes by my estimate. He informs me that I will become "the young Lord's personal servant." and that I will follow him around, performing tasks under his command. He knows little about the procedure, but he assures me that I should survive it _if_ I follow commands. Then, he gives me a clear crystal and asks me to focus my power into it. With that done, he explains the white haired man had already put the power of his enhancing-aura semblance into it, so I would heal most with least aura required. At some point during our chat, I point out it's weird to just call someone "the young Lord" and ask to know his name, I get no response.

Then finally, I mention Vida. He tells me they found two bodies in the woods - the two soldiers I killed. I don't tell him that part.

Finally, two young ladies walk in. They're almost identical, save for the eyes. And they have their hair put up in high ponytails on opposite sides of their heads. The man, Marcus, nods to both of them, "Dawn, Dusk." by the smirk they exchange, it is clear he can't differentiate the two. The two girls in their black dresses and flats help me out of bed and take me down a white corridor to a decently sized bedroom replica - minus the bed.

"Do you have any special requirements for washing your.. Animal parts?" One asks me stiffly.

I shake my head and she disappears into a room on the side - probably an en suite, based off of the sounds of watering running that fill the room. The other girl roughly removes the hairband that was keeping my long hair in it's ponytail and I open my mouth in a silent protest. Then, with me leaning on a cabinet, she grabs the white hospital gown I'm wearing and begins to pull it up.

If I still had my voice to protest or the strength to fight back, I would do.

I shake my head, swatting at her hands and she just laughs. "We've been instructed to bathe you and dress you. Doing so requires seeing you, you dunce."

I blink slowly at her, and then lower my hands to pull it up over my head myself. She places a hand on my back to keep me from falling and I can tell she is only gaining pleasure from my discomfort, that she doesn't want to be touching me. Then, I hesitantly remove the white bra and panties and stand there, feeling fully exposed until a white fluffy dressing gown is draped around my shoulders.

One awkward bath later, I am sat in a chair while my hair is done by the two pale girls with the black hair. They brush it thoroughly and mess about with various hairstyles for several minutes: ponytail; plait; multi ponytails and plaits. But eventually just brush my hair, and let it hang down around me.

One of the twins hands me some clean panties and I slip them on under my gown, before turning around to see them undoing the ties on the bath robe and taking it away from me. I silently grapple for the only cover I have from their prying eyes.

Then, they bring me a simple white dress.

With the knee-length gown donned, they step back to admire their work.

"Well.. I guess that'll have to do."

I'm lead down a series of corridors to a dark room, it's only source of light a dull glow from something in the middle, the neutral white swirls into a green as I enter, casting the room in an all manner of shades of the color. I'm walked over and stood in front of it, and only then am I able to make out the figure stood opposite me.

It's him, the Young Lord.

As shades of green and aqua dance across his face, enhancing his ultimately beautiful eyes, he takes his hand in mine. It's warm, soft, and it's obviously never done a day's hard work.

I pull my hand away quickly as a jolt of electricity runs through my arm. The crystal turns a deep red in color and suddenly I can't breathe. There's a moment of silence between us, and then he finally speaks.

"You've had a Master before?"

I shake my head wordlessly.

"You.. No, that's not possible..."

I freeze, unable to speak and defend myself.

"You were _born_ with two semblances?"

I close my eyes, waiting for something, anything to happen.

"Let's see how this goes then..."

He falls silent and takes my hands in his once more, the crystal alternating between a bright red and a lively green and I feel something course through my veins, warm and cold at the same time, sending a pleasant shiver through me.

Until now, I had failed to notice a small dagger beside the crystal, it's glowing a clear white but very faintly. It's a small knife with a plain, sleek metal handle. My confused look obviously catches his eye as he smiles warmly and explains.

"My father has close ties to the Schnee dust company, he managed to.. _Acquire_ some raw dust, as you can see. This is dust in it's purest form, it's rarely seen. It detects power and feeds on it, becoming a powerful weapon should it be allowed to feed on a destructive power and released for the wrong reason. I've already given you a blood transfusion with my blood, which is what the knife is for." He smiles fondly at it, "It was my mother's, before she passed... Anyway, I have the semblance which allows me to enhance other semblances, which is why it's white in colour. Until now, I had only known about your healing semblance," he glances to the crystal, now glowing a dull green again, "But you also have another semblance, a rather dangerous one too." I look to the floor, shaking my head as guilt floods through me at the thought of the last time I let that semblance loose.

"It's not all destructive, is it?"

I shake my head again.

"I see... I should warn you, you'd lost a lot of blood, under normal circumstances you'd be dead, in fact about half of the blood pumping through your body is mine. Once a person loses a quarter their life is in danger, so we have to prolong this as much as possible.. The only other potential issue is my body not accepting my blood back, in which case I'll have to make another cut to allow it out. It should be okay though, if we go slowly I'll be able to do it myself." He pauses, breathing deeply and closing his eyes. A low thrum echoes through my mind, and I feel the darker semblance being horrified at the intrusion.

The voice is clear and pure. "I'm not as in-touch as you are with communicating with your semblances, but the blood link here is working too."

A smirk crosses the Young Lord's lips and I suddenly feel the link between us - knowing i can interact with him with this link relaying in the same way the air does through speech.

I shake my head, a sharp pain prickling at the edges of my vision as he pricks my finger. I'm too slow to react, and he is touching our index fingers together and muttering an incantation I can't understand.

My world seems to explode. My vision blurs, and my heart flutters and suddenly I can't move: cant breathe. My mind begins to panic at the lack of oxygen, when a wave of calm overcomes me. The familiar icy sensation tingles through my fingers; just as it always does when I use it to heal myself or others. It tingles, and I know that I'm going to be okay.

I'm going to be okay.

Relief floods through me, comforting icy tendrils flooding through my veins. I can see the crystal flowing a very bright green, pulsating as different shades flow through it.

The Young Lord's strangled groan interrupts my thoughts.

Only one of our fingers are touching, but the icy flow of my power flows through all of my body and I try to move - to help but I'm frozen in place. My call doesn't even reach my lips before it's drowned out, and I feel my other, more powerful semblance rising up within me, but it's more at ease than normal and an almost neutral feeling that washes over me in waves.

"Lend me your strength. I'll make a cut."

The voice that replies is high in pitch, pure and innocent though the words are laced with mistrust.

"How do I know you won't make a fatal cut?"

My head starts to pound, a rhythmic thrumming that I know only I can hear threatening to drown out everything else.

"She's losing blood and fast, I need to let her other semblance take over or she's going to die. As for him, do you really think I'd find it beneficial to let this "bond" be broken so quickly after it's been made? Break the incantation before you lend me your strength or this won't work."

The Young Lord's lips move and then something terrible happens. Something I've seen too many times in life already.

The light leaves his eyes.

I don't know how, but I end up under the table. The symbols on the floor where I stood are still glowing faintly and the Young Lord is still lying bleeding and unconscious from where he fell.

This is bad, this is very bad.

I'm about to crawl over and help this man, this Young Lord that I'm "bonded" to, but I cant be certain I have the strength. Just as I resolve to try, the door slams open and what sounds like at least two men bound into the otherwise silent room.

"He's bleeding!"

"How? This was supposed to be safe!"

Silence falls, and it's thick with their realisation.

"It was her. The stupid bitch. Where is she?"

I'm shaking so badly, my breathing coming out in short burst which are far too loud in my own ears. The steps approach the table and i scramble backwards, grateful for my ruined voice since it wont give me away.

But something does, and I'm pulled out from under the table. My wrist is stamped on with a sickening crack and I cant even scream in pain, a bloody gurgle and that's all. Then they're descending on me with batons pulled from their belts.

Whack.

"Knew we should'a let her to die."

Whack.

"Stupid bitch, trying to kill the young lord!"

Whack.

Whack.

WHACK.


	3. Here To There

The room is dark and my head hurts. I'm cold.

_(How did I get here?) _

A noise. It's so quiet, but so loud. A warm breath on my arm. I can't move. There's a sting and my arm goes numb; then the rest of my body. I can't move anyway.

Before now, I wouldn't have believed it was possible to be dizzy when you can't see anything. I was wrong.

My eyes close. I sleep.

* * *

The dreams are bad ones. They're too fast and all a blur.

There's a green and brown place, I hold a cheap wooden sword. I'm in the clearing of my home, and my brother is here too. I move to make a strike as we spar, but he falls to the ground. He's dead. It's my fault.

Then, I'm running. I run so fast it's all a blur and my eyes hurt. I blink and wake up in a white room. My blood doesn't feel like my own - it's a Lord's. Then I'm sat atop of a chest of drawers, watching my tail so I don't have to look at the eyes before me. They promise hatred and suffering. The twins no-one can tell apart unnerve me. I focus on the black of their hair and then the room is just as dark.

The Young Lord is here, he pricks my finger but I don't feel it. The room is distorted for a moment and I'm frozen. Next to me stands another: a boy, it seems. I can't guess his age. He wears a black hoodie to match his jeans and shoulder length hair. He looks at the man before me.

"Lend me your strength. I'll make a cut."

A girl now stands beside the Young Lord, wearing a pure white dress and no shoes. Her skin is the colour of snow, and her hair the faint blue of ice. She reaches out to him, and the boy looks up to reveal equally pale skin and dark eyes. He smirks, and a cut forms on the Young Lord's arm and he passes out.

I'm under a table, there's a thumping noise that's too loud for me to bear. I try to scream, succeeding in making a broken gurgle at most. The hits begin. Then it's all black.

The world distorts, blending into an all-manner of shapes as colours swim by, too fast for me to make sense of. I'm moving, and I've vaguely aware of things touching my body. I have neither the strength nor will to do anything about it.

There's a drop of red and a black thing, and the colours have stopped swimming. The black thing comes closer, and I can't breathe for a moment. It fastens itself around my neck, not tight enough to prohibit my breathing, but certainly tight enough for me to be painfully aware of it.

My eyes close. Someone says something. I sleep.


End file.
